Ticking time bomb can be concerning

There is a time bomb I wish to share that is very near and dear to me.

My beautiful, intelligent, once gainfully-employed niece often walks her dogs near Penticton, B.C. Years ago, she became quite ill and was not properly diagnosed for several months. She still suffers terribly and is still unable to return to work. She has finally been confirmed to be battling Lyme disease. Lyme disease is the one of the fastest growing diseases in the world. Carried by ticks, one bite can put you in harms’ way. It is predicted that by 2020, 80 per cent of the population in Eastern Canada, including Manitoba will be subjected to Lyme disease. It’s obviously already in B.C.; Saskatchewan; and Alberta’s cold winters and isolated locations may slow the arrival here of the poppy seed sized pests. The material infection can be passed from pregnant mother to a child in the womb. There are unproven concerns that it could be sexually transmitted. “Babesia” a Lyme co-infection, has been found in the U.S. blood supply with 300,000 new cases of Lyme per year, mostly within 400 miles of our Canadian border. In 2014, Bill 442 was passed in Canada to create an action frame work. After a terrible two-year delay, the draft framework was finally released for public comment. The draft fails to take real action, has no funding and dismally fails to protect Canadians from and with Lyme. The politically mis-managed farce should be immediately rejected, and real meaningful action should be taken regarding this crisis. Canada is not currently equipped to prevent, educate, diagnose or treat people infected by Lyme.Cases of specialists mis-diagnosing, flawed Canadian testing and our citizens having to go out of country to get properly diagnosed are on record. Families continue to spend out of pocket for treatment, or for dealing with it’s crippling aftermath.For more information, go to: www.canlyme.com .